Not bad, Mickey Loomis: ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports that the New Orleans Saints are expected to sign both of the high-profile free agents visiting their team facility on Tuesday, pending physicals — meaning four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Anthony Barr and former NFL rushing leader Kareem Hunt could each be soon putting pens to paper.
Now, neither of these players are the same assets they once were. But they can still help a team in need like New Orleans. The Saints are perilously thin at linebacker and could use someone with 100-plus starts behind them like Barr to reinforce the depth chart behind Demario Davis and Pete Werner. The Saints don’t have any other linebackers with more than eight career starts on the roster.
At running back, there’s a clear need for more depth with Alvin Kamara suspended the first three weeks, his backup Eno Benjamin out for the year with an injury, and another reserve, Kirk Merritt, having left practice with a hamstring issue. Even if Hunt is playing behind Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller, that’s still a nice find to tide them over until Kamara has returned from suspension.
But as Russini said, these deals could fall through if either player fails to pass a physical. Stay tuned for updates on both fronts.
